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Monday, November 26, 2012

Translating Reading to Fine Writing

As writers, we're admonished to read excellent books in our genre. Many post about how they analyze an author's style, plot, characters, and setting. As a Seat-of-the-Pants writer, this comes about as naturally as standing on my head.

So, how do I translate what I'm reading into principles I can integrate into my writing?

1) I read the story for pure enjoyment. If it grabs me and takes me on a breathtaking ride, I go with it.

2) After I finish, I evaluate how the book affected me. Did I keep getting pulled out of the story or was I engaged the entire time? Did the author create characters that were sympathetic or did I want to slap them silly? Was the ending satisfying or did it leave me feeling cheated?

3) When I narrow down the aspects of the book I liked and the ones I found unsatisfactory, I ask myself, "how did she/he do it?" Did the author make all those historical references a natural part of the story or did they pound me over the head with facts? What techniques did the author use to evoke an emotional response in me, the reader?

4) I then compare the methods against my WIP. I'll re-read sections and see if they're effective or need more work.

5) If I were reading my book, would I want to have a sequel or be disappointed at the end?

Writers: How do you translate what you read into tips for your own writing?

All I know about analyzing I've learned from my husband and Monk. It does not come naturally to me. Like you said, standing on my head.

But I do try to see how a great sentence is structured, or why certain metaphors work better than others.

I love plays on words. When I think, "Susan is a great role model," I think of a yeast role prancing down the runway in an evening gown--made of huckleberry jam, of course! Not that you remind me of a role... Oh, never mind!

Great post, Susan. I've been in a rut creatively for a while, and I decided to go back and read some books by one of my all-time favorite authors, just for fun. When I was finished, I felt like I'd spent time with my best friends. And as a nice side benefit, it inspired me to dive back into my story again.